Muscat – As part of its efforts to limit the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Health (MoH) has announced that the booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine will be free of charge for expatriates in South Batinah governorate.

An MoH official informed that the booster dose will be administered from January 2, 2022, till January 6, 2022.”

He added, “The Directorate General of Health Services in South Batinah governorate will provide the booster dose free of charge to expatriate workers, as well as the first and second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for expatriate workers who have not received it yet, at the Sports Complex in the wilayat of Rustaq from Sunday, January 2, until Thursday, January 6, from 8am to 1.30pm.”

Many of the COVID-19 vaccination centres have witnessed a good turnout of residents and citizens to receive the third dose in the governorates of Muscat, South Sharqiyah, South Batinah etc.

Urging everyone to take vaccines on time and to opt for the booster dose, the official said that the third jab increases immunity by up to 75 per cent.

Last week, H E Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed al Sa’eedi, Minister of Health, stated that vaccination centres are open in all governorates for all. “Vaccines are available free of charge to citizens and residents. There is no excuse for not taking the vaccine,” he said, without specifying if the booster dose is free of charge for residents, too.

132 new cases

MoH registered 132 new cases of COVID-19 in a 24-hour period on Thursday. With this, the total number of cases in the country rose to 305,489.

No deaths were reported on Thursday, keeping the total number of COVID-19-related deaths in the sultanate at 4,116.